Every born-again
Christian has the Imputed Righteousness of
Christ, but every Christian is exhorted to seek
after the Practical Righteousness of God. The
Imputed Righteousness of Christ is that
righteousness that is credited to one based on
his spiritual rebirth. This Imputed
Righteousness of Christ is addressed in the
following verse: (Gen 15:6 KJV) And he (Abraham)
believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him
for righteousness.

The Christian enters heaven based on the Imputed
Righteousness of Christ. The Practical
Righteousness of God is that righteousness
worked out in a Christian’s life resulting in
integrity, virtue, purity of life and rightness
or correctness in feeling, thinking and acting.
Practical righteousness is addressed in the
following passage of Scripture about the
righteousness of David as he sought after
practical righteousness: (2 Sam 22:21-25 KJV) (21) The LORD
rewarded me according to my righteousness:
according to the cleanness of my hands hath he
recompensed me (22) For I have kept the ways
of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed
from my God. (23) For all his judgments were
before me: and as for his statutes, I did not
depart from them. (24) I was also upright
before him, and have kept myself from mine
iniquity. (25) Therefore the LORD hath
recompensed me according to my righteousness;
according to my cleanness in his eye sight.
The Christian
will be rewarded in the future kingdom of heaven
based on his practical righteousness. The following
verse also addresses practical righteousness: (1 Ki 3:6
KJV) And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto
thy servant David my father great mercy,
according as he walked before thee in truth,
and in righteousness, and in uprightness of
heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him
this great kindness, that thou hast given
him a son to sit on his throne, as it is
this day. Even though the
Christian has the imputed righteousness of
Christ, he is commanded to seek after the
practical righteousness that comes through
crucifying the flesh nature and walking
according to his redeemed spirit nature. The
Scriptures describe this as putting off the old
man and putting on the new man, or walking
according to the spirit and not according to the
flesh. Every Christian
gets to heaven because of the imputed
righteousness of Christ. This same Christian
will be judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ
according to his success in walking before God
in truth, in righteousness and in uprightness of
heart. It is a grave mistake for the Christian
to settle for the imputed righteousness of
Christ and to fail to seek after the practical
righteousness of God. The Imputed
Righteousness of Christ is an absolute
righteousness, whereas the Practical
Righteousness of God is a relative
righteousness. Every Christian has the imputed
righteousness, but he must seek after the
practical righteousness. Imputed righteousness
gets one into heaven, but practical
righteousness gets one into the kingdom of
heaven. Heaven is a place for Christians, but
the kingdom of heaven is a position of
authority, which is a reward for faithful
Christians. Every Christian enters into heaven,
but faithful Christians enter into the kingdom
of heaven. The following
verses in the Sermon on the Mount are speaking
of the practical righteousness of believers: (Mat 5:6 KJV) Blessed are they
which do hunger and thirst after
righteousness: for they shall be filled.(Mat 5:10 KJV) Blessed are they
which are persecuted for righteousness' sake:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.(Mat 5:20 KJV) For I say unto
you, That except your righteousness shall
exceed the righteousness of the scribes and
Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the
kingdom of heaven.(Mat 6:33
KJV) But seek ye first the kingdom of
God, and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you.The following
verses that are in the middle of the context of
the above verses show that the righteousness
addressed in these verses is the practical
righteousness that results in reward: (Mat 5:11-12 KJV) (11) Blessed are ye,
when men shall revile you, and persecute you,
and shall say all manner of evil against you
falsely, for my sake. (12) Rejoice, and be
exceeding glad: for great is your reward in
heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets
which were before you. It is a common
mistake in the church today to quote the
following verse and assume that the Christian
can do nothing that is righteous: (Isa 64:6
KJV) But we are all as an unclean
thing, and all our righteousnesses are as
filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf;
and our iniquities, like the wind, have
taken us away. In this verse
Isaiah was lamenting the falling away of Israel
from the ways of the Lord. The Christian
operating in the power of the Holy Spirit can
and does perform many righteous acts or deeds.
These righteous acts and deeds represent the
practical righteousness of Christians. The more
of these acts and deeds that the Christian
performs, the more righteous he is. This is the
reason that practical righteousness is a
relative righteousness. Some Christians are more
righteous than others, and this is why some
Christians will have greater reward and
responsibility in the coming kingdom of the
heavens. Christians that do not seek the kingdom
of God and his righteousness will lose their
inheritance completely. These are the Christians
that fail to “enter the kingdom of God”.The following
Scripture passage confirms that the inheritance
in the kingdom of God is a reward for
faithfulness in performing acts and deeds of
practical righteousness in the power of the Holy
Spirit:(Col 3:22-24 KJV) (22) Servants,
obey in all things your masters according to
the flesh; not with eyeservice, as
menpleasers; but in singleness of heart,
fearing God: (23) whatsoever ye do, do it
heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
(24) Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive
the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve
the Lord Christ.The following
Scripture confirms that Christians who are poor
in the things of this world, rich in faith and
love the Lord are the ones that will receive the
inheritance of the kingdom:(James 2:5 KJV) Hearken, my
beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor
of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the
kingdom which he hath promised to them that
love him?Those
Christians that are rich in faith and love the
Lord are the ones that abound in practical
righteousness. All Christians have the imputed
righteousness that qualifies one for heaven, but
many do not abound in practical righteousness—a
prerequisite for entrance into the kingdom of
God. WORKS DO COUNT AND ARE IMPORTANT!!!